From Archimedes’ principle to mass spectrometry, there are plenty of ways to test the purity of gold.
Factory robots could soon acquire a range of skills, including the ability to choose how to make things.
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Custom fabrication involves taking measurements, choosing tools, deciding on sequences of steps and ordering from a menu of materials. AIs under development promise to take humans out of the loop.
A few centuries ago, there were just a few widely used materials: wood, brick, iron, copper, gold and silver. Today’s material diversity is astounding. A chip in your smartphone, for instance, contains…